Heat exchange



E. J. HOUDRY HEAT EXCHANGE Sept. 26, 1939.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 19, 1935 5 I fl I m" W I INVENTQR EUGENE J.HOUDRY BY Sept. 26, 1939; E. J. HOUDRY HEAT EXCHANGE Filed July 19, 19554 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNVENfOR Euc-ENcdHpunRY ATTORNEY Sept- 1939. E: J.HOUDRY 2,173,844

' HEAT EXCHANGE Filed July 19, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR fEUGENEJHOUDRY W QMAWL ATTORNEY E. J. HOUDRY Sept. 26, 1939.

HEAT EXCHANGE Filed Ju1y19, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4- INVENTOR EUGENEd.HounRY 144 0/. ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES HEATEXCHANGE Eugene J. Houdry, Rosemont, Pa., assignor to Houdry ProcessCorporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application July 19,1935, Serial No. 32,170

18 Claims.

This invention relates to heat exchange in its application to thethermal control of operations, particularly those involving the use ofcontact masses. The operations may be either endothermic or exothermicand the contact masses may be mere solid spreading material, or ofporous, absorbent nature, possessing to a large or small degreeadsorptive or catalytic activity. While adapted for general use'in thechemical field, the specific development herein particularly describedrelates to the treatment or conversion of hydrocarbons, especiallymineral oils from any source. In certain aspects the invention may beconsidered as an improvement upon or further development of certainprior disclosures which include Patent No. 1,386,768, issued to D. E.Day on August 9, 1921;, Patent No. 1,828,146, issued to A. Joseph onOctober 20, 1931; Patent No. 1,989,- 927, issued to me on February 5,1935; and the copending application of A. Joseph, Serial No. 440,199filed March 31, 1930.

While not limited to particular types of hydrocarbon materials, theinvention has special application to and may be illustrated by adiscussion of the treating of petroleum oils of high viscosity, such as,for example, petroleum tars or residuae or fractions in the fuel oilrange, to produce a clean product or a product of reduced viscosity.This'operation may be conveniently termed viscosity breaking. From aheavy hydrocarbon, such as petroleum tar, by or with the aid of asuitable contact mass, there may be produced primarily a product ofviscosity and general properties which make it suitable as a crackingstock, to be used in place of the ordinary gas oil fraction. Usuallythere is also produced simultaneously therewith small amounts of lightproducts, such as gasoline and gas, and there is commonly separated somecarbon or 40 solidcarbonaceous material and mineral ash. This inventioncontemplates a process wherein the heavy oil is brought into intimaterelation with a porous contact mass, such as, for example, pumice,suitable blends of silica and alumina of controlled activity or othercontact mass at a suitable temperature. During the course of theoperation, carbon or carbonaceous and sulphurous material is depositedon the mass, and must periodicallybe removed in a so-called regenera- 55version or viscosity breaking is an endothermic tion step to clean upthe pores in the mass and.

reaction; whereas the regeneration is an exothermic reaction. Duringconversion,-to insure a uniform product and to control the reaction tomaintain the best conditions, heat must be supplied to maintain thecontact mass at reaction temperature throughout every cross section ofit. Again during regeneration, heat must be removed to maintain thetemperature of the mass within a safe range; otherwise certain necessaryproperties of the mass will be impaired or destroyed.

To introduce heat into the mass during the viscosity breaking step andto withdraw heat during the regeneration step, and to accomplish this insuch a way that the temperature of the entire contact mass remainswithin the proper operative range, are among the objects of thisinvention. This has been a difiicult problem because the contact mass isordinarily an extremely poor conductor of heat. Interlocked with thisproblem is the additional problem of providing a method and apparatuswhereby fluids which are difficult to subject to contact treatment, forexample, heavy oil, such as petroleum tar, can be uniformly andsuccessfully contacted, so as to produce as nearly uniform a product aspossible. Each problem needed a solution which would not interfere withthe solution to the other, and both required solution in such a way asnot to complicate the job of regeneration. To provide a combined andindividual solution to these problems, and to provide a solution whichis as economical and eflicient as possible are among the further objectsof this invention. These and other objects and advantages will becomeapparent from the specification taken as a whole.

The invention can be best understood by reference to theaccOmpanyingJdraWings, showing an illustrative embodiment of suitableapparatus, in which:

Fig. 1 showsan elevational view, partly in section, of a suitableconverter, together with ducts, etc., appurtenant thereto;

Fig. 2 is a plan view taken on line H of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows in reduced size an elevational view, partly in section, ofthe converter shown in Fig. 1, together with a furnace, ducts, etc., forsupplying gases to the converter;

Fig. 4 shows a detail view of an oil injector for the converter shown inFig. 1;

Fig. 5 shows a plan view of one of the annular perforated conduits shownhorizontally arranged in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 shows a section through the annular conduit shown in Fig. 5;

- justment of valves I5a and I5!) (Fig. 3).

Fig. '7 shows a view of a wall of the annular chamber of-Fig. 1,developed;

Fig. 8 is similar to Fig. '7, except that it shows an alternative designand arrangement of fins;

and

Fig. 9 is a variation of the converter shown in Fig. 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawings in the several figures of whichlike reference characters denote similar parts, and illustrating theinvention in connection with the treatment of a particular material,first we shall consider the on-stream or viscosity breaking part of thecomplete cycle of operation. um -oil or tar is passed through heater Iand atomizer 2, where it is mixed with a gaseous carrier such as steamand thence into annularly shaped injector 3, from which it is sprayedthrough openings 3a (Fig. 4), primarily in the form of mist or vaporonto the top of contact mass 4 located within the annular chamber 5,which is confined between cylindrical walls 8 and -'I. The contact mass4 is confined at top and bottom by circular, disc-shaped grids orscreens 8 and 8a and consists of porous spreading material in bits,fragmentsmr molded pieces, adapted for regeneration in place, which mayhave some catalytic activity or which may be mixed with or containactive ingredients. One suitable material is that disclosed in PatentNo. 1,818,403, issued to Alfred Joseph on August 11, 1931. The heavy oilpasses into the annular chamber and is taken up and retained by thecontact mass 4 until converted by the contact action of the latter andheat into vapor form, whereupon it passes therefrom through screen 80.into circular duct 9, from which it passes into lead-ofi main I0, thenceto be led to other treating equipment (not shown) or to storage. Any ofthe oil which may find its way through the reaction chamber in liquidform is led off through pipe 24.

During such operation, which is endothermic, heat is generated infurnace II, for example, by burning fuel oil or gas therein, and istransferred to a heat-carrying fluid, for example, flue gas, which ispassed through ducts I2a and I2b into annular conduits I3a and I3b,respectively, which side. Before entering annular co duit I3b, however,the gases are first distrib ted uniformly therearound through circularduct 23, having openings which lead therefrom into said conduit I311.The inner conduit is made annular because of the dummy member I4 whichis employed to increase the fiow'of gases close to the inner circularwallof annular chamber 5. The total fiow and also the relative flow ofgases between ducts I21: and I 2b are controlled by ad- The gases passfrom the annular conduit I3a into stack I6 controlled by valve Ifia andfrom annular conduit I3b through duct I'I, controlled by valve IIa,which leads back to furnace II. Duct I1 is also connected with stack I6by conduit I8, controlled by valve I8a. Intervening in duct I'I, betweenthe junction with conduit I8 and furnace I I, is a blower I9. Bycontrolling the speed of the blower and the adjustment of valves I60,lid and I8a, the proportion of gases recycled can be controlled asdesired, and thereby the temperature of gases and speed of their fiowthrough annular conduits I3a and I3b are controlled. The amount of heatintroduced into the system can, of course, also be controlled byregulating the rate fuel is admitted to the furnace II bound theaforesaid annular chaniber 5 on either A heavy petrolethe sections orbeds of mass.

through line 20. Fresh air is admitted to the furnace through ports 2 IHeat taken up by walls 6 and I and fins 25a and 25b (Figs. 1 and 2) fromthe hot gases passing thereover, through annular conduits I3a and I3b,is transmitted directly to and into contact mass 4 within annularchamber 5, or at least to those parts of the mass against and adjacentthe-inner faces of walls 6 and I and the fins 25c and 25d, respectively,in a path of uninterrupted metal conduction. The walls 6 and fins 25cand the walls I and fins 2511 provide intercommunieating elongatesections of catalyst or contact material. The arrangement of finsillustrated in Fig. 8 provides intercommunication at the ends, as wellas the sides, of adjacent elongate sections or beds of contact orcatalytic mass, and induces fluids or reactant vapors to assume asomewhat tortuous path in passing up or down through It will be obviousthat where, in the course-of use of the apparatus, an obstruction orclogging occurs at a point in any one section, reactants passinglongitudinally through that section may get past the obstruction byfiowing around through an adjacent intercommunicating section.

When the viscosity breaking or on-stream operation has proceeded forsuch a period of time that the desired quality of product is no longerbeing produced or the efficiency of the apparatus has fallen off 'verymaterially, or both, the introduction of oil may be cut off and steampassed through annular chamber 5 to purge it of oil vapors. When this isaccomplished, the steam is shut off and the apparatus is ready for theregeneration step. The regenerating medium may be admitted at once orthe hot gases may be allowed to continue to flow through annularconduits I3a and I3!) for a while to bring up the temperature from therange suitable for viscosity breaking, i. e., about 775 to 875 F.

to that suitable for regeneration, i. e., about 900 F. or higher.

Regeneration is carried out by passing air or other oxygen-bearing gas,e. g., a mixture of air and inert diluent, such as flue gases, or steam,or both, into and through the contact mass to burn away the flammabledeposits of carbonaceous and other materials. This is accomplished byintroducing the regenerating medium through pipe 26 into manifold 21,(Fig. 1), whence it flows through the several pipes 28 into respectiveannular distributing tubes 29, shown mounted in recesses in the edges offins 25d, and therefrom through perforations or openings 30 (Figs, 5 and6) into contact mass 4. ,The products of combustion are removed from thechamber by passing through similar openings or perforations in thenearest annular collecting or withdrawal tubes 29a, which are arrangedin alternation with distributing tubes 29, thence into respective pipes28a which lead into manifold 21a and finally are led away, to heatexchangers or elsewhere, through pipe 26a. Pipes 28 and 28a may beprovided with individual valves, not shown, where it is desirable to cutoff all communication between the contact mass 4 and the manifolds 21and 21a, during the on-stream part of the complete cycle of operation.

As soon as regeneration gets under way, the operation being exothermic,there is a natural tendency for the temperature in the contact mass 4 tobuild up. Since it is harmful for the mass to be heated above apredetermined maximum, say 1200 or 1500 F. (655 or 815 C.) for example,

depending on the composition and structure of the particular mass used,it is desirable to main tain the mass below such temperature, and thiscan be accomplished bywithdrawing the generated heat by circulatinggasesthrough conduits I and I3b at a temperature such that there will bethe proper and desired heatexchange from the contact mass to thecirculating gases. This can be accomplished with the apparatus shown,for example, by cutting off (or reducing) the supply of fuel to thefurnace and circulatmg gases through the system, heat being eliminatedfrom the system by venting a portion of the gases through the stack I6.The amount of cooling desired may be regulated by suitable adjustment ofthe valves and control of the speed of blower I9. i

The regeneration is continued at least until the bulk of burnabledeposits, laid down during the on-stream or viscosity breaking operationare removed by combustion. As'regeneration approaches completion, theamount of cooling necessary will become less and less. The temperaturemay be measured with the aid of pyrometers, not shown, and thetemperature and speed at which heat-carrying fluid is circulated throughannular conduits I30. and |3b will be controlled accordingly.

Dummy member [4 is supported by gussets 3|, (Fig. 1) which in turn arefastened to fins 25a, and is maintained in centered relationship insideof the inner annular wall 6 of annular chamber 5 by centering lugs 32,which also are attached to fins 25a. Thedummy member has openings 33aand 33b at its top and bottom, respectively, to avoid a dead spacetherewithin.

The outer annular conduit 13b is surrounded with suitable insulation 34to minimize heat losses.

. The annular injector 3 is fed by a conduit leading tangentiallythereinto and is of reduced cross section toward its latter end; thatis, the small diameter of the annular injector gets smaller as you goaround it in the direction in which the entering fluid passes. Whileonly one step of reduced cross section is shown in Fig. 4, any pluralityof steps of reduction is contemplated. The idea of the reduced crosssection is to maintain the velocity ofthe fluid in all sections aroundthe circumference of the annular injector substantially uniform, therebyto obtain a substantially uniform distribution of fluid around the topof annular chamber 5. The fluid passes from the injector throughperforations or openings 3a, which are of such size in relation to thedesign of the injector as to insure the discharge of the reactantmaterial from all openings in the form of mist or fog of vapors andatomized liquid. The end 3b of the annular injector opens back into itsbeginning, at the point of introduction of fluid thereinto, therebyproviding a continuous swirling action and eliminating the dead endwhich would otherwise exist. This is a further advantage in gettinguniform velocity around the annular injector and consequent uniformdischarge through openings or perforations 3a therein.

In place of having a single injector located at the top of the annularcontacting chamber, in certain cases there are advantages in providingseveral injectors, spaced one above another between the two ends of suchchamber, with a layer of contact mass below each. Or, as shown in Fig.9, there may be a plurality of injectors imbedded in the contact massand a corresponding desired.

plurality of annular tubes for withdrawing fluids from the contactingchamber. As shown, 35 are the injectors and 36 are the tubes foreduction of fluid. The same set of tubes may be used during regenerationas serve during the onstream part of the operation, ,the oil supplybeing cut oil and air or other oxygen bearing gas being sent through thecontacting chamber, for example, in the same direction. The regenerationmay be preceded by a suitable steaming out operation as desired.

Considering the apparatus of Fig. 9 more in detail, during the on-streampart of the cycle of operation the liquid to be treated, for example,petroleum oil or tar, is passed through heater la and manifold 31 andthence, by valve controlled lines, into and through the severalatomizers 2a. and from each, through respective connections, intoinjectors 35. The oil or other material passes from each injectorthrough suitable perforations or openings spaced around thecircumference thereof, for example, as the openings are spaced aroundthe circumference of distributing tubes 29, as illustrated in Fig. 6. Itthen contacts the contact mass la and the resultant products leave theannular chamber in by entering annular eduction tubes 36 throughsuitable openings or perforations in the surface thereof. The fluidproducts collected ineach of the eduction tubes pass therefrom, throughrespective connections, into manifold 38 and leave the manifold throughvalve 38a, passing to suitable condensers, storage or elsewhere, asDuring this portion of the cycle of operation valve 38b is closed.

Steam is supplied to steam manifold 39 and may be introduced with thecharging stock by passing the same into heater id or by admitting itinto atomizers 2a, or both, as desired, by suitable control of thevalves shown. By the connections shown, the steam supply may be employedfor steaming out the annular chamber 5a after the admission of chargingstock is cut ed and prior to regeneration. During regeneration anoxygen'bearing gas, supplied to manifold to, is passed into chamber 5aby means'of the connections shown and is distributed therein byperforated annular injectors 35, just as charging stock is introduced.Products of combustion are collected in eduction tubes 36, pass intomanifold 38 and therefrom'through valve 3% to suitable heat exchangersor eisewhere, valve 3811 being closed during this part of the cycle ofoperation.

A heat-carrying fluid is circulated through annular conduits Ba and Nb,as above described in connection with Fig. 1 and Fig. 3,. However,

such fluid is introduced into conduit 53a by passing it into circularduct 9a. It passes from the duct through spaced openings M and then upthrough annular conduit l3a, in a state of substantially uniformcircumferential dissemination.

The developed section of the wall 6 of annular chamber 5, illustrated inFig. '1, shows fins extending from top to bottom of the chamber. Adevelopment of wall I would appear practically identical, except thatthe horizontal spacing of the fins is somewhat greater. A modified andin some instances a preferable arrangement and design of fins areillustrated in Fig. 8, where, in-

stead of extending continuously from top to bottom of the chamber, anumber of short sections of fin replace each long section and are spacedendwise from each other. This allows the contact mass to get betweenadjacent ends of adjacent sections and thereby eliminates all chance ofunvaporized or condensed oil flowing from top to bottom of the annularcontact chamber 5 along the vertical surface of a fin. Of course this isof primary importance in connection with the fins within chamber 5 butthe same arrangement can be made of the fins protruding into annularconduits [3a and. Nb.

While the invention is particularly illustrated in connection with thetreatment of a heavy petroleum oil or tar, for which it is particularlyadapted, yet it may be employed for various other contacting actions andthe illustration used is not to be construed as a limitation. Othercompositions of contact material than those herein mentioned may beused, and different reactants, hydrocarbon or otherwise, may besubjected to treatment, with a view to arriving at a similar orentirely. differentproduct.

Various other modifications or embodiments of the invention will occur'to those skilled in the art. For example, in place of having a singleannular contacting chamber, as herein specifically described, theconverter might consist of a plurality of concentric annular chambers,or chambers of other shape and arrangement, each spaced from another toprovide intervening spaced or passageways through which a liquid orgaseous heat-carrying fluid may be circulated. That is, the reactionspace may be divided into a plurality of separated chambers, eachchamber having, or not, as desired, a plurality of elongateintercommunicating beds or sections of catalyst. As above illustrated,heat exchange fluid walls from the chambers or sections in which thecatalyst or contact mass is confined or contained. Where separatechambers, as just described, are employed, one or more may be on streamwhile another one or more is in regeneration, in accordance with theforegoing description.

Again, in place of having the distributing and collecting tubes in thereaction chamber arranged horizontally and of annular form, straighttubes, vertically arranged, might be substituted. Obviously many othersystems of ducts and heating means could be readily devised, uponreading this specification, to perform the functions of the apparatusillustrated. Further, many other styles and arrangements of fins couldbe substituted for those illustrated. All such equivalent constructionsand obvious variations are comprehended within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Where herein or in the appended claims the terms annular or annularchamber, for example are used, they will be understood to includering-like cross sectional configurations, whether in the form of acircle, a rectangle or other polygonal or irregular shape, although acircular ring is the normally expected configuration.

Where herein orv in the appended claims the terms contact mass orcontact material or catalyst", or an equivalent expression is employed,it will be understood that I contemplate a contact or catalyticmaterial, for example, in the form of fragments, particles, moldedpieces or bits, which are distinct and separate from the walls orportions of the structure which conflne'the reaction zone or chamber ofmy apparatus.

t I claim is:

1. P ocess for the treatment of fluid in the presen e of a bed ofcontact material which comprises dividing the contact material into aplurality of smaller beds, passing reactants longitudinally through thesmaller beds of material, permitting fluid to pass from one smaller bedto an adjacent smaller bed in the event of an obstruction to the flow ofthe fluid in one of said smaller beds, and utilizing an extraneous heatexchange medium for indirect heat exchange with the contact material insaid smaller beds along areas dividing the material and forming saidbeds thereby to adjust and control reaction temperature of said contactmaterial.

2. Process for the treatment of fluid in the presence of a bed ofcontact material which comprises dividing the contact material into aplurality of smaller elongate beds, supplying-fluid simultaneously toall of said beds of material for passage longitudinally through saidbeds in substantial parallelism, permitting fluid to pass from one bedto another in the event of blocking of the flow in one bed, andutilizing an extraneous heat exchange medium for indirect heat exchangewith the contact material in said smaller beds along areas dividing thematerial and forming said beds thereby to adjust and control reactiontemperature of said contact material.

3. Process for the conversion or refining of fluids with the aid ofcontact material or catalyst in the form of pieces or particlescomprising maintaining the contact material in a plurality of elongateintercommunicating sections partially separated from each other by heatconducting surfaces, passing fluid hydrocarbon reactants longitudinallythrough said sections of said contact material, said fluid passing fromone section to an adjacent intercommunicating section in the event of anobstruction in the one section, passing an extraneous heat exchangefluid at controlled temperature through passageways separate from butadjacent said contact material and in heat conducting relation with saidsurfaces, and maintaining the temperature of said heat exchange fluidsuch that heat is conducted by said surfaces from said heat exchangefluid to said contact material during endothermic reactions and viceversa during exothermic reactions.

4. In effecting chemical reactions and controlling the temperaturethereof, the steps of process which comprise employing a reaction zonecontaining a deep bed of contact material in the form of pieces orparticles, dividing said contact material into a plurality of elongateintercommunicatlng sections, passing fluid reactants longitudinallythrough contact material within said sections, said fluid passing fromone section to an adjacent intercommunicating section in the event of anobstruction in the one section, circulating heat exchange fluid atcontrolled temperature through passages adjacent -to but separated fromfluid communication with the contact material within said sections, andtransferring heat through uninterrupted paths of good heat conductivitybetween the said heat exchange fluid and portions of said sections ofcontact material remote from said passages.

5. In the endothermic conversion of hydrocarbon reactants in a confinedreaction zone, the steps of process which comprise dividing said zoneinto elongate sections and separating them by heat exchange surfaces.filling said secpassageways adjacent to but out of fluid communicationwith the catalyst in such sections, at

intervals regeneratingeach of said sections of catalyst by interruptingthe passage of reactant hydrocarbons therethroughand passing anoxygen-containing regenerating fluid therethrough, and transferring heatby uninterrupted conduction between said heat exchange fluid andboundary portions of said sections of catalyst,

said heat'exchange fluid being controlled in,

temperature so as to absorb heat from said sections of said catalystwhen in regeneration and to supply heat to said sections when on stream.

6. Apparatus for effecting fluid reactions at controlled temperatureswhich comprises a casing having walls providing a confined elongatereaction chamber and heat exchange passages adjacent said reactionchamber, said reaction chamber being out of fluid communication withsaid heat exchange passages, catalytic material within said reactionchamber, means for introducing fluid reactants into said reactionchamber and means for withdrawing fluid products of reaction therefrom,means for circulating heat exchange fluid at controlled temperaturethrough said heat exchange passages, and metallic fins attached to saidwalls and extending therefrom into interior portions of said catalyticmaterial so as to divide the said reaction chamber into a plurality ofelongate intercommunicating sections and to provide uninterruptedconduction of heat. between said heat exchange passages and interiorportions of said catalytic material.

7. In combination, apparatus for passing a fluid at controlledtemperature through a contact mass comprising walls forming an elongatedannular reaction chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet atopposite ends thereof, a

contact mass within said annular chamber, means providing confinedheat-exchange chambers adjacent the inner and outer walls of saidannular chamber, metallic members for conducting heat through said wallsbetween interior portions of said contact mass and points located withinboth of said confined heat exchange chambers, means for altering thetemperature of a heat.- carrying fluid, a conduit oi controllableeffective diameter for leading fluid from said lastmentioned means tosaid heat exchange chambers, and means including a valved duct forreturning any desired proportion of the heat-carrying fluid therefromback to the said means for altering its temperature.

8. Apparatus for efiecting fluid reactions at controlled temperaturewhich comprises, in combination, walls forming an elongated annularreaction chamber, contact material within said chamber, means providingconfined heat exchange chambers adjacent the inner and outer walls ofsaid annular chamber, metallic members attached to each of said wallsand extending both into said reaction chamber and oppositely into saidheat exchange chambers, for conducting heat between interior portions01' said contact material and centrally located points within both ofsaid confined heat exchange chambers, said metallic members which extendinto said reaction chamber serving to divide said contac material into aplurality of elongate intercom unicating sections, means for alteringthe temperature of a heat-carrying fluid, conduitsadapted to conductfluid from said' lastmentioned means to said heat exchange chambers, andmeans adapted to proportion the flow of heat-carrying fluid between saidheat exchange chambers as desired.

9. In combination, apparatus for passing a fluid at controlledtemperature into contact with a contact mass which comprises an uprightelongated annular chamber, a contact mass in the form of pieces orfragments within said chamber, means for injecting fluid onto saidcontact mass in a state of substantially uniform distribution, an outletfrom said annular chamber for withdrawing therefrom fluid resultingafter contacting said contact mass, a confined heat exchange chamber indirect heat-conducting relationship with at least one of the circularwalls oi" said annular chamber and a plurality of elongated metal finsarranged in approximately upright position and afiixed to the said oneof the walls of said annular chamber, one' series extending inwardlyinto the interior of the said contact mass and another series extendingoppositely into said heat-exchange chamber, fins of each of said seriesbeing in substantially uninterrupted heat-conducting relationship witheach other, thereby to provide means for a ready and quick conduction ofheat from said heat exchange chamber to the interior of said contactmass, or vice versa, when a difference in temperature between thechambers is provided.

10. Apparatus as described in claim 9 whose fins comprise short lengthsof metal, aplurality of fins being required to extend the length 01' thesaid annular chamber, each fin being spaced from the fins adjacenteither of its ends, so as to permit contact mass to be interspersedbetween adjacent ends of separable fins along the length of the annularchamber.

11. In combination, apparatus for passing a fluid at controlledtemperature into contact with a contact mass which comprises anelongated annular reaction chamber having its axis at leastsubstantially vertical, 9. contact mass withinsaid chamber consisting ofporous particles, means for injecting fluid to be treated into the topof said chamber in a state of substantially uniform distribution, anoutlet for withdrawing fluid resulting, after contacting-said contactmass, from said annular chamber, confined heat exchange chambers indirect heat-conducting relationship with the inner and outer walls ofsaid chamber, means for introducing heat-carrying fluid at a controlledtemperature into and through said heat-exchange chambers and forproportioning the rates of flow therebetween as desired, and a pluralityof metal fins aflixed to the inner and outer walls of said annularchamber, one series extending inwardly, from each wall respectively,into the interior of the said contact mass and another series extendingoppositely, from each wall respectively, into the inner and outerheatexchange chambers respectively, said fins comprising. short lengthsof metal each arranged in approximately upright position, to avoidobstruction to flow of reactants through the reaction chamber. 1

12. In combination, apparatus for passing a fluid atcontrolledtemperature into contact with a contact mass which comprisesan elongated annular chamber, a contact mass within said chamber, meansfor injecting fluid onto said 75 contact mass in a state ofsubstantially uniform distribution, an outlet for withdrawing fluidresulting, after contacting said contact mass, from said annularchamben-confined, heat exchange chambers in heat transfer relationshipwith the inner and outer walls of said annular chamber, and elements ofgood heat conductivity extending in substantially uninterruptedheat-conducting relationship from points within at least one of saidheat exchange chambers to points within the contact mass within saidannular chamber.

13. In combination, apparatus for passing a fluid at controlledtemperature into contact with a contact mass which comprises anenlongated annular chamber, a bed of contact material in the form ofparticles within said chamber, confined heat. exchange chambers indirect heatconducting relationship with the inner and outer walls ofsaid annular chamber, through which a heat-carrying fluid is adapted toflow, and heat-conducting metal elements extending in uninterruptedheat-conducting relationship from points within at least one of saidheat exchange chambers to interior portions of the contact mass withinsaid annular chamber.

14. In combination, apparatus for passing a fluid at controlledtemperature in contact with a contact mass which comprises an elongatedannular chamber having an inlet and an outlet, a contact mass withinsaid chamber, confined heat exchange chambers adjacent the inner andouter surfaces of said annular chamber, the walls of said annularchamber forming one side of each of said heat exchange chambers, meansfor altering the temperature of a heat-carrying fluid, conduits ofrelatively controllable effective size leading from the last-mentionedmeans to the inner and outer heat-exchange chambers, respectively,thereby to proportion the flow of heat-carrying fluid between the saidheatexchange chambers as desired, and means including a valved duct forreturning any desired proportion of the heat-carrying fluid therefromback to the said means for altering its temperature, thereby to controlthe temperature and speed of circulation of said heat-carrying fluid.

15. In combination, apparatus for passing a I fluid at controlledtemperature into contact with a contact mass which comprises anenlongated annular chamber, a bed of contact mass within said chamber,confined heat-exchange chambers in direct heat-conducting relationshipwith the inner and outer walls of said annular chamber, through which aheat-carrying fluid is adapted to flow, means for injecting fluidreactants onto said contact mass in a state of substantially uniformdistribution, an outlet from said annular chamber for withdrawing fluidresulting from contacting said contact mass, means cooperating withaforesaid means for periodically stopping the injection of fluid ontothe contact mass, substantially annular distributing tubes, spaced fromeach other and arranged in series between the two ends of the aforesaidannular chamber, means for feeding a fluid into and through saiddistributing tubes during the periods when injection of fluid onto thesaid contact mass is interrupted, and a complementary series ofcollecting or withdrawal annular tubes interspersed between the saiddistributing tubes and spaced therefrom and from each other.

16. Apparatus for eflecting reactions at controlled temperature whichcomprises, in combination,.an elongated annular reaction chamber, a bedof contact material within said chamber, confined heat exchange chambersin direct heatconducting relationship with the inner and outer 5surfaces of said reaction chamber, a plurality of perforate, annularinjectors situate within said reaction chamber, one above another,between the two ends thereof, and spaced from each other and arranged inapproximate parallelism with 10 each other, and a plurality of annulareduction tubes interspersed therebetween and spaced therefrom and fromeach other.

17. In combination, apparatus for passing a fluid at controlledtemperature into contact with 5 a contact mass which comprises anelongated annular chamber having its axis at least substantiallyvertical, a contact mass within said chamber consisting of porousparticles, means for injecting fluid to be treated into the top of 20said chamber in-a state of substantially uniform distribution, an outletfor withdrawing fluid resulting, after contacting said contact mass,from said annular chamber, confined heat exchange chambers in directheat-conducting relationship gg;

with the inner and outer walls of said chamber, means for introducingheat-carrying fluid at a controlled temperature into and through saidheat-exchange chambers and for proportioning the rates of flowtherebetween as desired, a plu 30 rality of metal fins affixed to theinner and outer walls of said annular chamber, one series extendinginwardly, from each wall respectively, into the interior of the saidcontact mass and another series extending oppositely, from each wall re-35 spectively, into the inner and outer heatexchange chambersrespectively, said fins comprising short lengths of metal each arrangedin approximately upright position, a plurality of fins being required toextend the height of said .10

annular chamber, each fin being spaced from the ends of the finsadjacent either of its ends to permit the contact mass to come betweenthe ends of adjacent fins, means cooperating with the aforesaid meansfor injecting fluid to be treated and for stopping periodically theinjec-r tion of such fluid, substantially annular distributing tubes,approximately horizontally arranged, spaced from each other heightwisethroughout the height of the annular chamber,

means for feeding a gas into and through said distributing tubes duringthe periods when injecting into said annular chamber of fluid to betreated is interrupted, and a complementary series of annular collectingor withdrawal tubes interspersed between the said distributing tubes andspaced therefrom and from each other in heightwise relationship.

18. An element of apparatus adapted-to introduce fluid into a reactionchamber in a state of substantially uniform distribution which comprisesa perforate anular tube having an opening through which fluid may beintroduced at least approximately tangentially thereinto, the

diameter of said tube becoming progressively I CERTIFICATE OFcoaREcTIdiI. Patent No. 2,173,8hh'. September 26, 1959.

v EUGENE J. HOUDRY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows Page 1,first column, line 27, for "residuae" read residue; page 1 first column,line 29, for "spaced" read spaces; page 5, second column, line hl, claim10, for the word "separable" read separate; page 6, first column, lineslLy-andlfi,

claims 15 and 15 respectively, for Fenlongated" read elongated; samepage, second column, line 52-55, for "injecting" read inject-ion; line62, claim 18, for "anular" read I annularg'and that the said LettersPatent should be read with this correction therein thatthe same mayconform to the record of-the case in the Patent Office;

Signed and sealed this 7th day of November, A. D. 1959.

Henry .Van Arsdale; (Seal) Acting Cornmissionercof Patents.

